When Jaymee Mason and Joshua Meloy left the Rolladium Skating Center in Waterford to make the long drive to Albuquerque NM, they barely took notice of the stunning scenery along the way. They were focused on something even bigger than the mountains of New Mexico.

Mason, 25, and Meloy, 22, were among the 11 skaters Rolladium Skating Club sent to the Artistic Roller Skating National Championship in Albuquerque, last month. But for them, the ultimate goal was bigger than that: to qualify for the 2013 World Championship held in Taipei, Taiwan, in November.

If they were successful, they would carry on Rolladium's long tradition of producing championship skaters. And fulfill a lifelong dream of their own. "When I was seven years old I told (my coach) that I wanted to skate in the world championship," says Mason.

That was 18 years ago.

To make that dream a reality, Mason and Meloy would have to receive extremely high scores in all three world-class dance disciplines: Compulsory, Original and Free Dance -- dramatic choreographies of lifts, spins and sophisticated footwork.

For the uninitiated, artistic roller-skating is a worldwide sport with a relatively low profile in the United States. The skaters perform the same impressive jumps, spins and footwork as ice figure-skaters but on wheels rather than blades.

It's a sport Mason has practiced for 22 years, and Meloy for almost as long. They met "forever ago" skating at the Rolladium. But they've been a dance team, and a couple, for only the last three years.

In Albuquerque, Mason and Meloy did indeed win a spot on Team USA. They also won hearts with their energy and enthusiasm. In fact, their free-dance performance, a "Dirty Dancing" Medley, brought down the house and fired up Facebook fans across the country.

Nevertheless, they had a scary moment while waiting for the final results. Before the announcement, a Team USA official pulled aside their coach, Mary Margaret Campbell, to talk. Campbell burst into tears. Mason didn't realize they were tears of joy, especially since this was the official who had delivered bad news to them last year.

"So when he told us we made it, I told him I loved him," says Mason. "And now we're his favorite team."

They were the bronze medal winners with enough points to take them to Taipei. While Mason's first reaction was "all tears and stuff," Meloy's first thoughts were much more pragmatic. "I thought, well, we're going to be broke for the next four months."

Like all US roller skaters, the Waterford team is at a competitive disadvantage, financially speaking. Because roller skating is a much bigger sport in Europe and South America, those skaters generally receive private and public funding.

"In Italy, they're like rock stars," Mason explains. "They skate for the government. And don't have to have jobs. They get paid to skate, so they can practice way more."

Mason and Meloy, however, will be working their way to Taipei. She's a high school English teacher and coach at the Rolladium. He's a manager at the Rolladium and student at Oakland Community College. When not working, they'll be spending every spare minute practicing or training.

It will be a busy four months. But their excitement will see them through.

For Jaymee Mason and Joshua Meloy, getting to Taipei is simply the next step in a 21-year journey. And though they've never been to Asia, they most likely won't be focused on the scenery during this trip either.

To help sponsor Jaymee and Joshua, visit gofundme.com and make a tax-deductable donation. To learn more about the Rolladium Skating Center, visit the Rolladium Facebook page.